The present invention relates to a method of producing cellulose from bacterial cultures that are members of the genus Acetobacer, and more particularly to a method for making fibers from cellulose produced by such bacterial cultures and to a method for making microcrystalline cellulose from cellulose produced by such bacterial cultures.
Bacteria of the genus Acetobacter, and particularly the gram negative bacterium Acetobacter xylinum is capable of synthesizing a fibril of cellulose. The ribbon-like fibrils are generated generally at the gas-liquid interface of a standing culture. Randomly intertwining ribbons of cellulose fibrils produce a thick membrane commonly referred to as a pellicle. These cellulosic pellicles have a relatively high tensile strength.